TEXAS — Texas’s senior Republican senator, John Cornyn, received criticism Monday for a tweet that some have interpreted as him complaining that President Joe Biden wishes to treat immigrants humanely.

Referencing the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, Cornyn started by tweeting, “Barack Obama once said, ‘We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked.’”

That was followed by a tweet that reads, “Bill Clinton ran for re-election on a platform that said, ‘We cannot tolerate illegal immigration and we must stop it.’”

The tweet that drew criticism, however, is one that appears to be critical of the president for his treatment of migrants. “President Biden has instead emphasized the humane treatment of immigrants, regardless of their legal status. @nytimes,” Cornyn wrote.

Whether or not the senator intended it to read that way, critics have interpreted his words to mean he opposes the humane treatment of migrants making their way into the U.S. MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin tweeted, “Republican is upset that the president treats people humanely.”

Economist David Rothschild wrote, “Thank you @JohnCornyn for truthfully explaining a key difference between Democratic & Republican policy: Democrats want to keep our border safe & secure, but do care about the humane treatment of immigrants. Meanwhile, Republicans enjoy the suffering of immigrants.”

Despite the tweet, Cornyn also on Monday, along with Democratic Sen. Krysten Sinema, called on Biden to take steps to secure the border, protect communities, and “ensure migrants are treated fairly and humanely.”

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